ZAC Purchase says he will give it everything to bring home gold after cruising into the Olympic final with Great Britain lightweight doubles partner Mark Hunter.

After their 12th straight win following a 24-hour storm delay, British supporters are hoping it won’t be unlucky 13 for them in Beijing tomorrow.

But the former King’s School, Worcester, student’s boat looked unbeatable as they eased home at the head of their six-boat semi-final field.

It will take a brave punt to back against them lifting rowing’s ultimate prize in the medal race off.

Evesham RC coach Mark Earnshaw also has high hopes of his GB heavyweight double Steve Rowbotham and Matt Wells also getting on the podium after they overlapped France and Estonia to go through third in their semi.

“We’re into the final, which is where you have to be to win the gold and it’s game-on now,” said former Upton and Evesham RC rower Purchase.

“We’re fairly pleased with that. You want a good semi-final going into the medal race and we got across the line fairly comfortably which sets us up nicely for Sunday.

“I’m sure the final will be a very different game, with everyone going for it and trying things. But today, we got out fast with a good start and quickly had half-a-length.

“It was exactly what we wanted, so we could get straight onto a good strong rhythm in the middle. Then we kept them at arm’s length and made sure they didn’t come back. It was a simple straightforward race and we conserved a bit of energy.”

GB were never headed, going through 500 metres 0.8 seconds up on Italy’s Marcello Miani and Elia Luini, who boast seven world titles between them.

At half-way, the GB duo dropped their rating to 35, and looking relaxed and long, the lead was a length and a quarter from the Italians, who were in a four-boat scrap for the other two qualifying slots with Cuba, Germany and Fra-nce.

As the race hotted up behind, Italy closed the lead fractionally before the 1500m mark, and kept going at full tilt for the line.

But GB, with Purchase calling the shots at bow, lifted it briefly to 36 and then paddled the last 100m at 34, keeping a wary eye on the chasing pack to win by three-quarters of a length in six minutes 29.56 seconds.

Italy were second in 6.31.16 with Cuba grabbing the third qualifying slot a length back by a length-and-a-half as Germany blew up within sight of the line. France were fifth and Canada sixth.

Greece’s Vasileios Polymeros, who beat Purchase to the world 72kg singles title in Japan in 2005, and Dimitri Mougios, who both took silver ahead of the bronze medal Brits at last year’s worlds, were nearly five seconds faster winning the second semi, but were full out to go through with the world champion Danes in second and China third.

The GB duo, who beat the Greeks in the Beijing heat, paddled off without staying to watch the second semi, showing they fear no one.

“It’s all about preparing now for the big one,” said Purchase.